The Family Guy Collection is a nine-disc set containing all 50 episodes from the show's three seasons, plus two bonus discs of additional material including commentaries, deleted scenes and featurettes.

Creator Seth MacFarlane drew on his own New England upbringing to create the dysfunctional Griffin family and the other less-than-endearing inhabitants of Quahog, Rhode Island. In addition to animating the original concept, MacFarlane also voices the show's three most indelible characters: recklessly stupid paterfamilias Peter Griffin, sophisticated pooch Brian and Stewie, the one-year-old obsessed with world domination.

Though comparisons are inevitable, from the outset Family Guy established itself as no mere Simpsons clone. Quahog is both a more realistic and far less cuddly place than Springfield. The Griffins and their neighbours inhabit a town where both random acts of violence and virulent verbal abuse are doled out on a regular basis; they indulge in copious (albeit mild) swearing; and the mocking of minorities, PC attitudes and pretty much anyone and anything else, is delightfully commonplace. Most joyfully distinctive of all, though, are the flashbacks, surreal episodes and sundry other non sequiturs that continually interrupt the Griffins' daily lives.

The show is also characterised by a plethora of pop-culture references, many of which will fall flat for a non-US audience. But the scattershot approach to jokes--they just keep coming and coming--ensures that for every one you don't get, there will be three that will have you in stitches. Rumours abound of a potential fourth season and even a movie; but for now this is the definitive collection.

On the DVD: The Family Guy Collection presents the episodes on discs as they appeared in the original three box sets, with no extra features nor anything as useful as a "Play All" facility. Two bonus discs contain all the additional material: here 14 episodes have optional chatty, laid-back commentaries from MacFarlane and other members of the creative team. MacFarlane also appears in the short featurettes, talking about the show's creation and its interminable censorship problems. The rough-and-ready original pilot is also here, as well as animatic storyboards for selected scenes and seven TV promo spots. While the extra features alone are unlikely to tempt anyone who already has the series box sets, those who have only sampled Family Guy so far will not want to miss this opportunity to own every joyous episode. --Mark Walker

Like a lot of people, Family Guy completely passed me by when it was on TV for the first time. I (again, like a lot of people) wrote it off as no more than a Simpsons clone. However, a friend of mine convinced me to sit through just one episode. That's all it took...

Yes, it IS a direct copy of The Simpsons, in more ways than one, but with the addition of one CRUCIAL element (cutaways), it surpasses its supposed progenitor with ease. Usually kicked off with "remember the time..." or "this is worse than that time I...", or similar, the story is put on hold while totally incongruous non-sequitors are introduced. THESE are what make the show great (IMO, Jabba The Griffin's segment should be included on the next Voyager probe as the sole example of mankind's comedy).

I first saw the shin-barking incident ("Wasted Talent") about two years ago and I STILL laugh to tears at it NOW. By any measure, it should NOT be funny, which defines a lot of Family Guy's material: in any other show, it would not be funny for a man to throw grenades out of his window while pondering a problem or, for no reason, engage in a 7 minute fight with an anthropomorphized chicken. But here, it IS funny.

Nobody I know is indifferent to FG: they love it or they hate it. Most "great" things are this way, though: the lovers love it all the more because of it. You won't be converted if you hate it, but if you have never seen it before, give it a chance. Within three days you'll wonder who The Simpsons even are...

Futurama was my favorite TV show, until 20th Century Fox canceled it but to be honest I only discovered The Family Guy last month, as I don't have a satellite system and boy I have been missing out! Most episodes usually have an ending that makes you think "what the hell is this" due to its seemingly random nature.

Similarly there are sketches dotted around which have no connection what so ever with the storyline, but they are hilariously funny - The best in my opinion being the fight between Peter and the guy in the chicken costume.

Hopefully it won't get canceled (again).

Oh man this is cool! If you're a fan of Family Guy then this is the box set for you, unless of course you already own seasons 1 - 3 on DVD. If this is you then stop reading now! Everybody else, you can keep reading.

OK so this is cool to buy if youy don't already have the dvds because it's cheaper than buying them seperatly. My brother has all of these except for 'Family Guy Uncovered' which is a two disc dvd exclusive to this box set.

The best episodes in season 1:
- Chitty Chitty Death Bang
- Peter Peter Caviar Eater
- If I'm Dyin', I'm Lyin'
- Death Is A Bitch
- The King Is Dead

The best episodes in season 2:
- Da Boom
- I Am Peter Hear Me Roar
- Road To Rhode Island
- E.Peterbus Unum
- When You Wish Upon A Weinstein

The best episodes in season 3:
- The Thin White Line
- Emission Impossible
- To Live And Die In Dixie
- A Very Special Family Guy Freakin' Christmas
- Road To Europe

Those are just my favourites but every episode of Family Guy is awsome and I'm so glad they've uncancelled it. Prepare for a Season Four dvd some day and then hopefully... Season Five!

All in all Family Guy rules and so does this box set so buy it! But for any box set I find not bought, I SHALL KILL YOU!!!!!

It was such a relief when i discovered Family Guy, The Simpsons was really getting on my nerves, there were never ending repeats on the TV everyday, and the morrals for the episodes were getting too boring and childish, Family Guy is different, hilarious jokes that would never be even thought of for use in The Simpsons, creative characters and general side splitting adult comedy!

Enthusiast will deny and discourage it, but similarities between Family Guy and the Simpsons are most definitely there. And since everybody I know likes at least one of these shows, it saddens me that there are fans of one show who insist on rebuking the other. Instead, people need to realize that it is these similarities that make both of these shows so great. Family Guy's humor may be a bit more abrasive, but it's just as successful at striking the right chords to make you laugh. Another comparison I can make with Family Guy is with the movie Airplane! Both feature quick pacing jokes which allow room for the hits and misses, and many many spoofs of different movies and tv shows (like my oh so favorite show, the Simpsons).

Overall, when looking at the great animated comedies, Family Guy and the Simpsons come in with the one-two punch (and don't forget King of the Hill). I know that the memories of both of these shows will be embraced far into the future.